The Giant Sea Bass is a majestic fish. Lovingly known as the GSB, these California natives can reach a length of 7 feet, weigh up to 600 pounds, and live more than 70 years. Did I mention these animals are huge? They are like gigantic swimming mouths!

Unfortunately, these gentle giants were hunted to the brink of extinction last century. So the State of California imposed extremely strict regulations in the 1980s to save the species.

To help protect these wonders of the sea, our friend and colleague Mike Couffer asked Heal the Bay in 2015 to embark on a unique study – to track the spot patterns (the polka-dots) of a super tiny baby GSB over the course of one year. These spot patterns could be a way of identifying each individual, like a fingerprint, and would assist in research and conservation efforts along the coasts and islands of Southern California. Mike, an environmental consultant, is doing this research work in conjunction with Cal State Northridge.

Mike captured and delivered a 1.5-inch long baby Giant Sea Bass to the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium and placed it in our care. Caring for a little one is always a bit stressful, with many sleepless nights and an endless list of duties to keep the baby safe and healthy. It’s exhausting!

Each month, Mike would visit the Aquarium and photograph both sides of the fish, tracking and documenting changes in the fish’s spot pattern. Our Aquarist team would measure the fish’s length and weight every month — both for this study and other studies being undertaken in partnership with several institutions.

These were the most stressful days. We had to be gentle moving the little one from tank, to vessel, to weight scale, to measurement table, and then back to its tank. We did this work quietly, by hand, and with lots of love.

Well, as a proud papa, I can tell you our diligent care and feeding has paid off. Over the past year, our GSB has now grown to 7 inches in length and has gained about 100 times its weight. And what about those spot patterns? Do the spots on a Giant Sea Bass change or move over time? We’ll find out for sure once the study is published soon. It’s always a delight working with Mike and I look forward to more GSB studies with him and our colleagues at other facilities.

Now that the research is done, we can sit back and enjoy watching our GSB grow further. We expect to have the fish for a few more years, but like a young adult he’s going to have to move out of the house someday. Our tanks simply aren’t large enough to safely and comfortably house a full-grown GSB. But we’re not even thinking about that now!

So please come visit the Giant Sea Bass during the aquarium’s open hours. It’s an amazing animal. If you fall in love, you can even Aquadopt this special creature.

July 7, 2016 — Over the last ten months, citizen scientists of all ages helped our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium survey the humble Pacific Mole Crab (commonly known as the sand crab). More than 60 volunteers collected an immense amount of data about these sand crabs on the beach just outside the Aquarium’s doors – what did they learn?

Last year the Aquarium partnered with the Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students (LiMPETS). This statewide program activates people along the entire California coast to do real science through hands-on data collection – at the Santa Monica Pier we focused entirely on sand crabs, an indicator species useful for measuring the health of the entire ecosystem. We observed how rainfall, water temperature and tides affected the size, sex and abundance of sand crabs.

After consistently collecting data for almost a year we are beginning to see some trends. What is most exciting is the sheer number of sand crabs we’ve been seeing lately. In the winter, if we found two sand crabs we knew it was a good day. Now we’re consistently finding 15-25! What’s behind this drastic change?

The answer has to do with the sand crab’s life cycle. Adult sand crabs have a mating season between November and February. Their eggs develop for 30 days, before hatching into planktonic larvae. These larvae float around in the ocean for a little over four months and go through six different life stages (which ensures that they become widely dispersed and colonize new areas)! They eventually settle onto shore as juveniles, or “recruits,” and about a month later become fully grown adults. This explains why we are currently finding so many sand crabs, especially many of the recruits that were laid in the early months of mating season, drifted as plankton for months, and have now made the Santa Monica beach their home. As they continue to feed and grow, they will soon start the process all over again.

So if you joined on a sand crab survey trek in the winter, be sure to come back and help us find, count, and measure all of the sand crabs we have been finding on the Santa Monica beach!

Taylor Spesak is the Aquarium’s public programs educator. Join him every Wednesday at 3pm for sand crab monitoring. The program is included with Aquarium admission.

Mar. 22, 2016 — Inspiring, family-friendly, free educational fun. Good luck finding such a combination, right? Anyone who stopped by S.T.E.A.M. Machines at the Santa Monica Pier on March 12th found all that and more.

Start with teams of motivated students who designed, built, and operated innovative, complex contraptions that completed a series of whimsical steps to open an umbrella. Add prize money and an opportunity to take the winning contraption to a national competition and you have hundreds of students in varying degrees of excitement, panic, and determination to show off their original machines before a panel of expert judges. This was the third annual L.A. regional Rube Goldberg Machines contest, part of a day-long expo connecting the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, arts and math to the real world needs of solving today’s environmental issues.

Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium curated this event for the third year in collaboration with the Santa Monica Pier Corporation and sponsors iHeartMedia and Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds. The contest was the centerpiece of a day that included interactive booths showcasing everything from 3-D printing, robotics, an all-electric Volkswagen (converted from a gas combustion engine by Santa Monica High School students), turn-trash-into-art stations, and fresh-churned ice cream–created by bicycle pedal power.

The fun was not limited to the expo on the Pier deck; below at beach level our Aquarium gave visitors the opportunity to pilot our new mini underwater R.O.V. (remotely operated vehicle) and tinker with robotics and circuitry.

Master of Ceremonies for the day was Gray Bright, engineer by day, comedic talk show host by night. Between witticisms delivered in his Australian accent and his sense of wonderment at all the amazing gadgets and gizmos demonstrated, he put his talk show host skills to work, interviewing a series of powerhouse science and technology experts. All available seats were taken to hear about the career paths of Diana Skaar, Head of Business Innovation for X (formerly Google X); Kristina Kipp from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab’s Mars Rover program; Loretta Whitesides, an astrobiologist, founder astronaut and consultant at Virgin Galactic; and 18-yr-old L.A. robotics champ Cynthia Erenas.

S.T.E.A.M. Machines was a huge success, or as Santa Monica Pier Executive Director Jay Farrand said afterward: “Our success was written across the faces of all the happy students, families, and spectators that enjoyed the Pier in a new way on Saturday.”

Feb. 28, 2016 — At approximately 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23, Gordon Honda, a Santa Monica Pier Aquarium volunteer for 16 years, hit a milestone no other volunteer at the Aquarium has ever attained.

He reached his 5,000th hour of volunteering!

He was celebrated with cupcakes and a round of “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” by the staff.“Gordon has given so many hours of his time over 16 years that we have to continue to create new volunteer awards just to keep up,” said programs manager Jenna Segal.Based on hours logged, Aquarium volunteers earn marine-themed pins to add to their nametags.Gordon’s nametag is weighted down with so much hardware you’d think he was a five star general; his 5,000th hour was commemorated with a bright orange Garibaldi pin to add to collection. This feisty fish is the California State Marine Fish, and its significance represents how important Gordon is to the Aquarium team. “Gordon represents everything we look for in a volunteer, and brings joy to our visitors every week,” Jenna said.

When Gordon was honored with Heal the Bay’s Jean Howell award in 2013, the staff compared him to a Swiss army knife: all-purpose, always dependable, always ready to take up any task.

“Baby giant” seems like a contradiction in terms, but when it comes to the latest fish on exhibit at our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, it is accurate. Under a year old and just shy of two inches long, our giant black sea bass, Stereolepis gigas, has a long way to go to live up to its name. But when it reaches maturity at between 13-15 years of age, this critically endangered species can reach seven feet in length and weigh upward of 500 pounds. It’s hard to equate this tiny, brownish-orange fish with oversized fins and dark spots with the much darker gentle giants (one diver’s blog refers to them as “aquatic Volkswagens”) that hang out in groups around kelp beds just off the coast, but they really are the same species.

Giant black sea bass are also described as so chill a diver can hand feed them – a trait that meant they were nearly fished to extinction by the late 1970’s. In 1982 the sport fishing of these big lugs was banned and a few years later gill netting of the species was also outlawed. Now, marine biologists are working to determine the success of these protections, and our Aquarium’s baby giant black sea bass is part of this unfolding story of wildlife conservation.

When researchers from Cal State Northridge and the Monterey Bay Aquarium approached senior aquarist José Bacallao about holding on to one of a handful of babies collected recently along the Southern California coast, he jumped at the chance. It turned out the researchers were “tipped off” by biologist and photographer Michael Couffer, who made an unannounced, stealth visit to the Aquarium the previous week to determine whether we were baby giant sea bass-worthy. And naturally, we were!

Couffer will return each month to chronicle the fish’s growth, also recording any changes in its color scheme–paying particular attention to its dark spots. Are they unique markers? Can these spots be used to identify a particular giant sea bass throughout its life? The goal is to record a full life history of these giant fish and show the importance of conservation in preserving the species. Couffer can discuss at length the spawning habits of the adults, coloration changes and behavior of the juveniles along the sandy bottom in the most scientific terms. But even a seasoned biologist had to resort to an unscientific, one-word description of our newest fish: cute.

You can visit this adorable fish at the Aquarium Tuesday-Friday from 2-5pm, and weekends from 12:30-5. Count its spots and watch for updates!

Our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium has the perfect antidote for the holidaze: A break with the marine life at the Aquarium. (Gazing at fish is a soothing experience, trust us!) We’ve got special holiday hours the last two weeks of 2015. You can drop by Dec. 22-24, between 2 and 5 p.m. We’ll all take a holiday on Dec. 25, but from Dec. 26-31, you and out-of-town guests can visit us from 12:30-5 p.m. We’ll wish all a Happy New Year on the 31st, remain closed New Year’s Day, and reopen with our regular winter schedule beginning at 12:30 p.m. Jan. 2.

A visit to the Aquarium can also solve the problem of what to get for the hard-to-buy for folks on your list. Consider making a donation to Heal the Bay in a special someone’s name or give the unique gift of Aquadoption, the program that underwrites the daily care of our marine life along with a yearlong membership to Heal the Bay, which includes free family admission to the Aquarium to visit your adopted animal for the full year.

For a limited time during the holiday season, the Aquarium is offering its round stingrays for adoption. And for a special holiday price, a plush stuffed animal stingray (incredibly cuddly, no sharp stinger on this cutie) is included in the adoption package. Four other animals exhibited at the Aquarium are available for “aquadoption” year-round; the stingray will only be featured for the month of December.

Arrange an Aquadoption by registering online, during a visit to the Aquarium at 1600 Ocean Front Walk, beach level, beneath the Carousel building, or by calling 310-393-6149, ext. 114 for more information.

Beneath your toes at the beach are thousands of sand crabs just trying to make it through the day. Most beachgoers walk right over them without a care, but Santa Monica Pier Aquarium citizen scientists are eager to find them!

Heal the Bay recently partnered with the statewide LiMPETS program to bring sand crab monitoring to the Santa Monica shoreline just outside the Aquarium’s doors. This program activates people along the entire California coast to do real science through hands-on data collection.

But…why do we care about sand crabs? For starters, they can tell scientists a lot about the sandy beach ecosystem. For example, if there is a low number of crabs during a collection, water quality may be poor or a high number of predators may be snacking on the sand crabs. The list could go on and on. By simply counting these overlooked creatures, scientists can make conclusions about the entire ecosystem’s overall health.

Citizen scientists from the Aquarium are focusing on sand crabs specifically in the area around the Santa Monica Pier. We’re examining several factors that may be affecting the number of crabs present, like how long it’s been since a heavy rain and whether the sample spot is under the Pier. We’ve already noticed that there seem to be more crabs during dry spells and more crabs directly under the Pier.

The findings are intriguing, and we look forward to analyzing more data. That’s where you come in!

Experienced or not, anyone can be a citizen scientist, and we’d love to do science with you. As long as the tides are low, the surf isn’t too aggressive, and there is no rain we will be out collecting data every Wednesday at 3:00pm. No training required! Meet us at the Aquarium and we’ll then head down to the beach to collect our sand crabs. This program can also be used as a service or linked learning opportunity for middle and high school students. An AP Environmental Studies class from Los Angeles Academy of Arts and Enterprise has already helped us collect great data.

So come get crabby with us on Wednesday, November 25, at 3pm and kick off your citizen science career under the Pier!

For more information, please email Catherine Hoffman at choffman@healthebay.org.

With a predicted El Niño “too big to fail” heading for Southern California, we proclaimed Oct. 11-17 El Niño Week to help us all understand what causes this meteorological phenomenon, offer tips to prepare, and explore the ways that expected heavy rains can be turned to our advantage. We have a number of folks and establishments to thank for their help and support in making El Niño Week a success.

We’re also grateful to Bill Patzert, a scientist at the California Institute of Technology’s NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, for giving an informative and entertaining talk to a packed room at the Aquarium. Patzert managed to have the crowd in stitches as he explained the science behind an El Niño.

Bill Patzert may be a JPL super-scientist and El Niño geek, but he really is a fun guy, says Heal the Bay vp Sarah Sikich. Come hear him speak next week at our Aquarium.

I’m very excited to announce that Dr. Bill Patzert, a leading climatologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will be joining us for El Niño week at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium on Oct. 13 for a feature presentation, “Whiplash: From Super Drought to El Niño.” Dr. Patzert’s forecasting prowess has earned him the nickname “Prophet of California Climate.” His work involves improving our understanding of Earth’s climate and important environmental problems ranging from El Niño, La Niña and longer-term climate forecasts. I’ve enjoyed talking with and learning from Dr. Patzert at meetings and science forums over the past several years. With a quick wit and fresh sciencey style, he makes forecasting and environmental science fun. He also loves to surf! He joined me for a little appetizer Q&A to get you ready for the special event:

What piqued your interested in science, and compelled you to pursue it as a career?

My dad was a sea captain and taught me celestial navigation, shooting the stars and the sun with a sextant. At night he would point out the North Star and the many constellations and tell me about the mythology of each. This was heady stuff and fascinating for a budding geek. Many men and women have inspired me. My parents were supportive and stimulating. They loved ideas, education and the natural world. Many of my mentors and professors were superb. And, reading Rachel Carson’s “The Sea Around Us” opened new worlds to me. I also had the good fortune to spend a week with the late Arthur C. Clark at his home in Sri Lanka. Wow, what a great guy! He encouraged me to be fearless and let my imagination soar.

You received your Ph.D. in Hawaii?! You must have taken some study breaks to enjoy the beach. Do you have a favorite beach or snorkel spot on the islands?

Honestly, I chose Hawaii for graduate school so I could surf (which I did and still do), check out the ladies at Waikiki and blast my eardrums with the great music of the 60’s – The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, etc. I surfed and dove every Hawaiian Island and much of the South Pacific. It was sweet!

El Niño vs. The Blob: who wins?

El Niño trumps The Blob. Come to my talk to find out why.

With the recent discovery of water on Mars, have you considered taking your oceanography skills to space?

There is no space more important than Earth space. I’ve got my hands full here at home. I follow and admire the research of my Martian buddies here at JPL, but fending off man-made climate change keeps me Earth bound.

What are your hobbies when you need a break from climatology?

I’m a reader, a mystery junkie. Mysteries are addictive! Good historical novels are a treat, too. I collect art of all types… my tastes are eclectic. I have Mexican folk art, Japanese prints, Persian rugs and, my prize collection – Hawaiian surf shirts. For exercise, I do some biking, romantic walks on the beach, some swimming and surfing, and have good intentions of being fitter. And, I raise cacti and succulents. I love HBO.

You can read more about Patzert’s take on the coming El Niño, which he describes as “too big to fail,” in this week’s interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Each time we go to a supermarket or restaurant we are confronted with a choice about what food items to buy. Health concerns and a growing desire to eat local and sustainable foods have made this decision harder than ever. Each month, Nick Fash, education specialist and Key to the Sea manager at our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, will help you make informed choices at the seafood counter as well as at your favorite local restaurant. And try one of his delectable recipes included at the end of this blog.

Salmon? What exactly does this mean when you read it on a menu? The truth is that it could be farmed, or wild, or any one of six different fishes from two different groups from opposite ends of the earth. Not so simple anymore, is it?

There are two basic types of salmon: Atlantic and Pacific. The Atlantic salmon is in the genus Salmo and originally came from the Atlantic Ocean (I say originally as they are now farmed all over the world) and Pacific salmon is in the genus Oncorhynchus, which come from the Pacific Ocean.

Salmon are born in fresh water, travel to the ocean in their adult life and return to the fresh water to lay eggs. They are a keystone species, meaning they play an important role in the nutrient-starved ecosystems where they spawn. When the Pacific salmon die, the nutrients in their body that they obtained from their lives out in the ocean are released into the Arctic, beginning the explosion of life that occurs during the spring and summer months. Without these nutrients the Arctic ecosystem would be unable to function properly.

Salmon are extremely sensitive to environmental changes in the ocean as well as on land. Their populations are suffering from logging, mining, pollution and changing ocean conditions. And salmon farming is the most recent threat having a major impact. Not only are these salmon farms destroying the ecosystem with all of the waste they produce, they are spreading diseases and parasites to the wild salmon as they migrate out to the ocean. So we are not only destroying one of nature’s finest food sources, replacing them with highly inferior farmed salmon, we are also at the risk of dismantling an entire ecosystem.

While here in Southern California we do not have open pen aquaculture – salmon farms set up off shore along the coast – we do have other problems that impact salmon populations, like pollution, coastal development and habitat destruction, which can impact our own fisheries. Heal the Bay has spent the last 30 years cleaning up our waters, protecting our oceans by helping to establish Marine Protection Areas, and working to make our fisheries healthier.

Looking to learn more about the plight of wild Pacific salmon? Come to the screening of The Breach on May 20th at Cross Campus in Santa Monica, eat tasty treats, and hear chefs, biologists and the filmmaker discuss what we can all do to help.

Heal the Bay members will get 20 percent off the ticket price by using the code BREACH20. Tickets are available here:

Preheat broiler. Line rack of broiler with foil and lightly brush with oil.

Pat filet dry and check for bones by running finger along the filet. If you find any bones you can pull them out with a pair of clean pliers. Season with salt and pepper. Broil 4-5 inches from heat for 7 minutes, cover with foil and continue to cook in the broiler for another 7-10 minutes.

While the salmon is broiling whisk together all sauce ingredients. Season with pepper to taste